Disposable Luck

Posted on 2007/05/19 00:21:36 (May 2007).

[Friday 18th May]

Today something happened that made me think about the major unknown to men systems in life that regulate our daily routine, and why not, our whole existence.

The occasion was Alessio's birthday party, which was held in "La Guerrina" a pub near the stadium where we usually go.
While the party was nothing more than a chat between friends and girlfriends, an event marked my evening.

After ordering the mandatory Guinness, I got a scratch card from the bar-lady.
In a total absent-minded way I took out my ten cent coin, or whatever it was, and proceeded to scratch the silver coating.
I have to say that I quite hate these cheap shot marketing ploys, they are a waste of money, I am sure that people would quite happily pay 20 cents less than having to enter a "FANTASTIC prize draw".

Anyways, in this case, as the Guinness usually requires more time to be poured, the trick is quite clever, because assuming that there is an empty bar, or an almost empty one, you do have time to concentrate and do your thing.

After the scratching it came out that I won the prize, an inflatable cushion, branded Guinness of course...
This made me remember of a very similar occasion where I won an hand warmer (it must have been 6/7 months ago), buying a Guinness. They were holding a similar campaign and even in that occasion I won the prize.

According to the lady it's not that "usual" to win.

Now, after the usual little spot of theatre "look how lucky am I!!" when I got back at the table, and after listing ALL the uses that this cushion could have (and I mean ALL), I started thinking that in both occasions I have been blessed with an uncommon luck that I most certainly DID NOT want!!

So the present feeling is that I "wasted" my rounds on two stupid things, I could have use it better on, say, a lottery ticket! :D

The pondering goes deeper to create a sort of sod's law rule:

Lucky things happen to you when you are not thinking of them and quite always when they do not make your life any better or worse, in short they are wasted in front of your eyes, but they are easily recognizable as lucky occasions so that you can sulk.

It must be this way.

The same applies for my job. When I changed job last year I was fed up with the company, but I got to a point, after two years of looking for the right occasion in vain, where I was actually quite enjoying the job again.
Then the first job offer came and then the Japanese company (alas) came too.
Two months after that I received another 3 job offers.

Now I am in desperate need of another job, as this one is just turning even more sour than the previous one, but of course nothing comes.
It seems that the more you look for something the more it eludes you.

Same story with girlfriends, when you actively look for one she never arrives, when you stop you get the same effect that honey has on bears...

Well I have two useless gadgets now and the feeling that I wasted my luck, next time I am going to have Kilkenny, good return for this marketing campaign huh?!

I believe Kilkenny is also manufactured by Guinnes though isn't it?

So maybe Guinness Inc. are really just very manipulative, sales of Kilkenny are down, and somehow a psychologist worked out that targetting people like yourself in this way would make them drinking Kilkenny.

They won!

Posted by John at 2007/05/19 09:26:42.

...although this strikes me as a good idea for a character in a film. He could be called simply "Lucky". His house is completely filled with useless things he won in competitions that he didn't really want, but whenever he actually tries to get something he does genuinely want it never works out for him.

Eventually he beats himself to death with a porcelain figurine that he won at a church fete raffle.

Posted by John at 2007/05/19 09:35:14.

One thing does spring to mind Lox - if these things that you won (and didn't want) really are quite rare, and presumably you can't buy them in the shops, then how about selling them of on eBay?

Posted by John at 2007/05/19 09:36:23.

John: Good points! I like the script idea, actually I might write a short story about it let's see if it works.... As for selling them on Ebay I dunno if people might actually be interested in them I do not think that they are THAT rare...

Posted by Lox at 2007/05/19 10:25:30.

Ha! Yeah, I'm on a Guinness mailing-list. Every once in a while I get stuff through. They send me a birthday card every year. Sometimes a Christmas card. I've had an inflatable glass holder (no idea how it would work); a mouth-organ; beer-mats (very useful actually); a clover-leaf "stamp" to mark the head of the beer, plus numerous other daft items.

Lox: don't think of this as wasting your luck quota; think of it more as an indicator of how your general luck is going!! Things are on the up!! (And good old Guinness showed the way!)

:)

Posted by Nigel at 2007/05/19 12:21:41.

Nigel: I hope you are right on the last part of your comment.... :P I wouldn't mind some change in the work field, the prospect of travelling to Japan next week is not very appealing... :(

Posted by Lox at 2007/05/19 13:39:05.

Know what they say in France ? Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour (lucky at games, unlucky in love)...

Posted by Sheri at 2007/05/20 16:14:50.

Sheri: We have the same saying!! :P

Posted by Lox at 2007/05/20 16:57:55.

Then how is it in Italian?

Posted by Sheri at 2007/05/20 17:29:48.

Sheri: Sfortunato al gioco, fortunato in amore (and vice versa)... Having said that I do not think it's too much of a "game" winning an inflatable cushion, if I won at a game of cards it would apply better... :P

Posted by Lox at 2007/05/20 17:35:41.

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